DALLAS (FWAA) With their dramatic 10-9 win over LSU this past
Saturday, the Auburn Tigers are the FedEx Orange Bowl National
Team of the Week, as selected by the pollsters of the FWAA's Grantland
Rice Super 16 Poll for games of the weekend of Sept. 18.
Courtney Taylor caught a 16-yard touchdown pass on third down to cap
a 12-play, 59-yard drive with 1:14 left in the game. Then, Auburn (3-0)
missed the PAT, but got a second chance after an LSU personal foul. John
Vaughn hit his second extra-point try to provide the winning margin.
Quarterback Jason Campbell was 16-for-27 for 170 yards on the day with
no interceptions to lead Auburn. Taylor caught five passes for 71 yards
in the game.
Other FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend
of Sept. 18 included:
Arizona State (3-0): Andrew Walter threw for 428 yards and
five touchdowns as the Sun Devils routed Iowa, 44-7, to avenge a 21-2
loss a season ago.
Maine (2-1): The Black Bears, the second Division I-AA team
to be nominated this season, stunned Mississippi State, 9-7, in Starkville.
Tennessee (2-0): James Wilhoit booted a 50-yard field goal
with six seconds left as the Vols scored 16 fourth-quarter points to beat
Florida, 30-28.
West Virginia (3-0): The Mountaineers moved to 3-0 for the
first time since 1996 with a 19-16 overtime win over Maryland.
The FWAA has named a national team of the week since the 2002 season.
This is the first season that the award has been sponsored by the FedEx
Orange Bowl.
The 16 pollsters of the Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll decide the weekly
honor. Each Monday during the 2004 college football season, the FWAA will
name the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week through Nov. 29. This
season, FedEx Orange Bowl will match the two top-ranked teams in the final
BCS standings. It will be played at Miami's Pro Player Stadium on Jan. 4,
2005.
The Grantland Rice Super 16 Poll will resume this season on Oct. 11.
The top-ranked team in the final poll will be awarded the Grantland Rice
Trophy as the FWAA's national champion. The FWAA has awarded the trophy
each season since 1954. USC is the defending FWAA national champion and
is ranked No. 1 in the initial 2004 poll.
For more information on the FedEx Orange Bowl National Team of the Week,
go to www.footballwriters.com
or www.orangebowl.org.